Hey, guys! So, I haven’t done a Clasp Wars post since… October. Oops! I am so sorry for dropping that series right as we were nearing the end. But, I am officially picking it back up and today, we’re gonna talk about Hook and Eye clasps!

Let me start this with a confession – I had to dig deeeeeep into my photo archives to find examples of jewelry I’ve made with this style of clasp and I could only find three. Three examples in over 7 years worth of jewelry photos! Clearly, I do not use these clasps often.

A Hook and Eye clasp is pretty self-explanatory – one side is a hook, which can be made in all sorts of sizes and shapes, and the other is either an individual eye or an extension chain. They rely on tension to keep them closed, so they work best on a necklace that has enough weight to keep the clasp hooked, like the beaded kumihimo necklace in the photos below.

I would never recommend using a hook & eye clasp on a bracelet. They just aren’t secure enough. With the constant swiveling, there’s no center of gravity to keep the eye from sliding right off the hook and I just don’t have any confidence in them. If a necklace is heavy enough, you can usually trust it not to come undone, but a necklace faces much less abuse and constant movement than a bracelet.

With that caveat in mind, there are definitely come advantages to using these clasps. First, they are fairly simple to use, even with arthritic hands. You can still use an extension chain, like with a lobster claw, but you don’t have to be able to maneuver that little catch. They also look really elegant and come in plenty of beautiful styles. I’ve seen some handmade wire ones that are just stunning.

What do you guys think? Am I being too harsh on hook and eye clasps? Do you use them?
Let me know in the comments below!